According to the National Fisheries Institute, seafood consumption has continued to decline in the United States for seven consecutive years. While Americans consumed around 16.5 pounds of fish per year in 2006, that number fell to 14.6 pounds in 2012--a 14 percent drop.

Experts attribute the decreased popularity of fish mainly to cost, but difficulty of fish preparation is also blamed.

Perhaps Americans are also waking up to the cruel realities behind fish farming and killing. In 2010, Mercy For Animals conducted an undercover investigation inside Catfish Corner, a fish slaughter facility. The abuses we documented were horrific.

To hasten the decline of U.S. fish consumption, and to take a stand against unspeakable abuse of aquatic and land animals, visit ChooseVeg.com and learn more about adopting a cruelty-free vegan diet.